Senior Technical Animator at Cloud Chamber
Company: Cloud Chamber
Location: Novato, California, United States
Job Type: Full-Time (Hybrid)
Salary: $108,900 – $161,160 per year + Benefits
About the Company
Cloud Chamber is a game development studio dedicated to creating immersive and meaningful experiences, best known for working on the BioShock franchise. The studio fosters a collaborative and innovative environment where teams push creative and technical boundaries to deliver high-quality gaming experiences. :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}
Job Overview
The Senior Technical Animator will play a critical role in developing advanced animation systems and pipelines for next-generation gameplay. This position combines technical expertise and artistic sensibility to ensure high-quality character performance, optimized workflows, and scalable animation solutions within the game engine.
Key Responsibilities
- Implement and integrate animation assets within the game engine.
- Troubleshoot animation issues in Maya and engine environments.
- Optimize assets and systems for real-time performance.
- Create and maintain Animation Blueprints and procedural animation systems.
- Work on IK, cloth simulation, motion matching, and runtime animation systems.
- Refine animation workflows and improve content pipelines.
- Mentor team members on tools, workflows, and best practices.
- Create documentation to support knowledge sharing.
- Collaborate across design, engineering, and art teams.
Required Qualifications
- Experience in game development with at least one shipped AAA title.
- Strong knowledge of animation systems such as Animation Graphs, Blend Trees, and State Machines.
- Experience with procedural animation techniques (IK, retargeting, ragdoll, cloth, motion matching).
- Proficiency in scripting languages such as Python or MEL.
- Strong understanding of animation principles and character realism.
- Ability to optimize workflows and improve animation pipelines.
- Excellent documentation and knowledge-sharing practices.
Soft Skills
- Strong communication and collaboration skills.
- Self-motivated with a proactive mindset.
- Ability to work under pressure and adapt to changing priorities.
- Strong attention to detail and ownership of tasks.
- Open to feedback and continuous learning.
Benefits
- Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance
- 401(k) plan and employee stock purchase program
- 14 paid holidays annually
- 15–25 days of paid vacation or flexible time off
- Paid sick leave and parental leave
- Mental health and wellbeing programs
- Family planning support
- Commuter benefits and fitness reimbursements
- Bonus and equity opportunities
How to Apply
Apply through the official application page below:
Note: Cloud Chamber and its parent company do not use personal email accounts or messaging apps for recruitment communication.